Introduction
Serve plus one wins service games. The US Open reminded us. Winners and finalists held over 70 percent. The foundation was first‑serve points won above 75 percent in key rounds. The pattern was simple. Wide serve to open the court. Then an inside‑out forehand into the space. For lefties, many used the T on the deuce side to jam the backhand. Then they drove the first ball back behind.
You can build this in a single club session. You need cones, clear cues, and scoring that creates pressure. This playbook gives you three progressive drills. Each drill uses three lanes, simple decisions, and a ladder that feels like a breaker. We will also give you a short test and a two‑week microcycle. Coaches can run this with a group. Players can run it with one partner.
Definition: Serve + 1 is the serve and your very next groundstroke. Win control by the second shot and you control the game.
Key concepts we will use:
- Three‑lane serving map: wide, body, T in each court
- Decision cues: height, depth, and opponent hand
- Pressure ladder: race to 21 with deuce and ad play calls
- Simple make targets: 65 to 75 percent by lane on first serve
I am a USPTA coach and a sport science nerd. I also run a 1:32 half marathon. The engine matters, but here the map matters more. Think of it as running the tangent lines in a race. Place the serve. Hit the first tangent. Do it again.
Main Content
What New York told us about serve + 1
- Hold rates were driven by first‑serve points won. Cross the 75 percent line and your hold rate jumps.
- Right‑handers leaned on ad‑court wide serves on big points. The first strike was inside‑out forehand to the open court. If the return floated, they went inside‑in for the finish.
- Lefties found joy with the deuce‑court T. It jammed the backhand. The first strike was a backhand to the opposite corner or a drive back behind the mover.
Use those as your default calls under pressure. Then add a body serve changeup when returners move.
Map your three lanes with cones
Set three cones on each service box target:
- Deuce court: wide 1 racquet inside the sideline, body at the center hash extended, T 1 racquet left of the center line
- Ad court: mirror it
Place a deep target cone for your first ball after the serve:
- Open‑court cone: 1 racquet inside the singles sideline, 3 feet inside the baseline
- Behind‑runner cone: mid‑third, 2 feet inside the baseline
Chalk the three server start spots behind the baseline. Note your toss alignment to avoid drift.
Cue: Wherever you place the toss, place the serve. The toss is the steering wheel. Video the toss for 10 reps per lane. OffCourt users can tag lane and result for make percent and depth.
The decision tree you will use in all drills
- Ball height: green if waist or higher, yellow if knee to thigh, red if stretch or on the run
- Ball depth: deep if lands past your service line, short if in front
- Opponent hand: righty default is backhand to ad, lefty default is backhand to deuce
Decisions:
- Green + short: attack the open cone
- Green + deep: drive heavy to the open cone
- Yellow: shape heavy cross to buy time, then re‑attack next ball
- Red: play big margin middle third to reset
Call it aloud: open, heavy, or reset. Keep it simple.
Drill 1: Three‑lane serve map and verify
Purpose: Build placement and confidence by lane. Establish make percent and depth before adding the first ball.
Setup:
- 6 cones for serve lanes (3 in each box)
- 2 deep target cones for depth verification
- 12 balls, phone tripod if you can film
Protocol:
- Sets: 3
- Reps per set: 12 serves per court side (6 deuce, 6 ad), total 24 per set
- Order: wide, body, T in sequence, then repeat
- Rest: 90 seconds between sets
Cues:
- Toss location matches lane
- Hit through the outside seam on wide, inside seam on T
- Quiet head through contact, count 1‑2 before looking up
Scoring:
- +1 for a serve that lands in the correct lane
- +1 bonus if the bounce lands in the back half of the box
- Goal: 16 of 24 per set, with at least 4 of 6 in each lane
Lefty note:
- Prioritize deuce‑court T and ad‑court wide. Those were high‑value patterns in Queens.
Progression:
- Add a partner shadow return who calls “deep” or “short” on bounce. No hit yet. You rehearse your first step toward the planned open‑court cone.
Coaching checks:
- Track make percent by lane. If one lane is under 60 percent, fix toss alignment or stance first.
- Film five serves per lane from side and rear. Check shape and net clearance.
Drill 2: Serve + 1 with the traffic light
Purpose: Link the serve to the first strike. Use the green‑yellow‑red cue to choose the right ball. This mirrors US Open first‑ball discipline.
Setup:
- Same cones as Drill 1
- One live returner or a coach feed that simulates three returns: float, neutral deep, body jam
Protocol:
- Sets: 4
- Reps per set: 8 points per side (deuce then ad), total 64 points
- Serve call before each point: wide, body, or T
- Returner calls ball color on your contact: green, yellow, or red
- You must state your first‑ball call: “open,” “heavy,” or “reset” before swinging
- Rest: 60 seconds between sets
Cues:
- Green: inside‑out to open cone from ad wide or deuce T for righties. Lefties flip the map.
- Yellow: heavy cross to pin the backhand side. Aim mid‑third, 3 feet inside baseline.
- Red: high net clearance middle. Live to fight the next ball.
Scoring:
- +2 if you land the called serve and land the first ball on the correct cone
- +1 if serve is correct but first ball lands deep within target zone
- 0 if serve is in but you miss the first ball
- −2 if you miss the first ball into the net or wide
- Goal: average +1 or better per point
Constraints:
- If you win two points in a row at +2, add a changeup: serve body then first ball behind
- If you go negative for a set, you must serve body for first two points of the next set to reset margins
Coach variations:
- Feed more floaters if the player is not taking green balls early enough
- Feed deeper if the player goes too big on yellow balls
Cue: Hit the first ball on the rise when green. Your contact point is your clock. If it is late, go heavy, not heroic.
Drill 3: Race to 21 pressure ladder
Purpose: Create scoreboard pressure and side‑specific play calls that mirror big points in New York.
Setup:
- Use all cones from prior drills
- One live returner who can adjust depth
Rules:
- Play only serve + 1 scoring. The point ends after your first groundstroke. If the return is unreturnable, count it as a win at +2.
- Scoring per point:
- +2: Serve hits called lane and first ball hits the planned cone or wins clean
- +1: Serve hits called lane and first ball lands deep in the planned half
- 0: Serve in, first ball error long (overaggressive) or deep neutral that misses planned half
- −1: First‑serve miss, make the second serve and win the first ball to neutral half
- −2: First ball error into net or wide
- Start at 0. Race to 21.
Play calls:
- Deuce pressure call at 10 points: righties serve wide, first ball behind if returner sprints; lefties serve T and drive back behind
- Ad pressure call at 16 points: righties serve wide and go inside‑out; if return floats, go inside‑in; lefties serve body then backhand to open court
Side changes:
- Switch ends at 7 and 14 to simulate wind or sun
Rest:
- 75 seconds at each switch. Use breath ladder: 4 long exhales, 6 relaxed breaths. Calf pumps to aid recovery.
Targets:
- Right‑handers aim for 8 or more points scored on ad‑wide pattern
- Left‑handers aim for 8 or more on deuce‑T pattern
Pressure add‑on:
- If you reach 18 and drop below, do 5 quick line touches before the next serve. Keep heart rate up to simulate night‑session legs. Think repeat sprint.
Mental cue: One controllable focus per point. Mine is “first ball height.” Pick yours and say it. It lowers noise.
Simple serve + 1 test you can run today
Time: 12 minutes
- Deuce side: 10 first serves called wide, 10 called T. Hit your first ball after each serve to the open‑court cone. Record makes. Then repeat ad side: 10 wide, 10 T.
- Scoring: percentage of points where you hit serve to called lane and first ball deep in the planned half.
- Standard: 65 percent or higher across 40 balls is match‑ready. 75 percent is strong league level. Under 60 percent, stay in Drill 2 next session.
Track it in a simple grid. OffCourt users can log lane, depth, and first‑ball result in one screen and trend hold proxies over two weeks.
Common fixes from the US Open map
- Wide serve sailing long: lower toss 2 inches and close your stance 10 degrees. Aim two ball widths inside the sideline.
- T serve clipping net: taller contact. Think knee drive up before shoulder turn.
- First ball too short: lengthen your swing path and add spin. Aim three feet above net tape. Heavy beats hard.
- Overhitting green balls: pick smaller targets. Aim 1 racquet inside the line and let the court do the work.
Running analogy: You would not sprint the first 200 of a 5k at 400 pace. Same on serve + 1. Hit the line you planned. Then accelerate if you read green.
Lefty and righty quick guides
Right‑handers:
- Ad‑wide to pull the backhand. First ball inside‑out to open cone. If they overrun, go inside‑in behind.
- Deuce‑T to jam. First ball forehand to opposite corner or back behind.
Left‑handers:
- Deuce‑T to backhand hip. First ball backhand across or behind.
- Ad‑wide to stretch forehand. First ball cross heavy, then finish line.
Body serve changeup for both:
- Use body when returners jump early to cut angles. First ball aims middle third to freeze them.
One‑session flow (60 to 75 minutes)
- Warm‑up 10 minutes: dynamic plus 12 shadow serves per lane. Add 8 mini cross‑court first‑balls off a drop feed.
- Drill 1 for 15 minutes: three lanes, score and film a handful.
- Drill 2 for 20 minutes: traffic light with live returns.
- Drill 3 for 15 to 20 minutes: race to 21 pressure ladder.
- Cool‑down 5 minutes: two rehearsals of your best pattern on each side. Log scores.
Two‑week microcycle: serve + 1 block
Goal: Lift lane accuracy to 70 percent and first‑ball execution to 65 percent. Build pressure resilience.
Week 1
- Day 1: Technique and map
- Drill 1: 3 sets. Add 1 extra set to weak lane.
- Drill 2: 3 sets with lighter returns. Focus on green calls.
- Finisher: 12 ball serve + 1 inside‑out only. Make 9.
- Day 2: Traffic and depth
- Drill 2: 4 sets. Mix float and deep returns 50‑50.
- Target game: 20 first balls to open cone under a 6‑ball ball‑pickup cap. If you miss 3 in a row, reset.
- Core conditioning: 3 x 20 seconds of split‑step plus crossover hops. Rest 40 seconds.
- Day 3: Pressure ladder
- Drill 3: Race to 21 twice. Change sides and winds.
- Return scrimmage add‑on: partner hunts second serve inside baseline 10 balls. You hit neutral first ball to middle third.
- Recovery: Breath ladder at end. HR down to conversational by 75 seconds.
- Day 4: Match‑play integration
- Serve games only to 4 with no‑ad. Must call lane before toss. Only two shots allowed per point. Track holds.
Week 2
- Day 1: Weak‑lane build
- Start with your lowest lane from Week 1. Drill 1: 4 sets focused there.
- Drill 2: 3 sets with scripted returns into that lane.
- Day 2: Pattern speed
- Serve plus two: after first ball, coach feeds a neutral ball. You must finish to the opposite cone in 3 shots total.
- 3 x 8‑point mini breakers. Only ad‑wide and deuce‑T allowed.
- Day 3: Pressure ladder plus fatigue
- Drill 3: Race to 21. At 14 points, perform 6 x 10‑yard shuttles in 40 seconds. Resume at elevated heart rate.
- Focus on routine at 16 points: towel, breath, cue, look.
- Day 4: Test and taper
- Run the 12‑minute test. Compare to Week 1.
- Light hit. 20 quality serves. 10 first balls by side. Done.
Intensity notes:
- If legs feel heavy, swap Day 3 and Day 4 in each week.
- OffCourt plans can auto‑track lane accuracy and first‑ball depth so you can nudge volume without guessing.
Coaching add‑ons for teams
- Two‑ball servers vs two returners: servers call lane and pattern. Returners aim deep middle to remove speed. Score race to 42 points across two courts.
- Hand signals for ad‑wide big points: tap outside thigh for wide. Fist on hip for body. Hold the call for one full second before toss. Reduces last‑second drift.
- Film the first two balls only. Ignore the rally. That sharpens the focus.
Practical examples and tweaks
- If your ad‑wide misses long under pressure, aim shorter. Move the open‑court cone one step forward. Keep it deep by spin, not by force.
- If the returner camps wide, serve body and hit first ball behind. Make them stop guessing.
- If you struggle on second serve plus one, push the pattern one ball later. Serve, neutral high cross, then attack the third ball. Build stability first.
Simplicity wins: one lane, one cue, one target. Repeat until boring. Pressure makes boring look brilliant.
Conclusion
Serve plus one decided holds in New York. The pattern is clear. Right‑handers: ad‑wide to inside‑out. Lefties: deuce‑T to backhand first strike. Build three lanes with cones. Use green‑yellow‑red to choose your first ball. Then climb the pressure ladder.
Run the one‑session flow this week. Score it. If your test is under 65 percent, stay in Drill 2. If you are over 75 percent, add fatigue to the ladder or shrink targets.
Quick checklist
- 6 to 8 cones
- Chalk or tape for start lines
- 12 to 24 balls
- Phone tripod for quick clips
- Partner who can vary return depth
- OffCourt session template for lane and first‑ball tracking
Next steps on‑court
- Set three lane cones per box and two deep target cones. Walk your toss lines.
- Run Drill 1 and Drill 2 for 35 minutes. Finish with a race to 21.
- Log lane accuracy and first‑ball depth. Pick one fix for the next session and slot the microcycle.
That is your playbook. Short. Clear. Game‑ready.